Hi everyone,
we will be flying to Miami on the 28th December from New York and will be taking a cruise on the 2nd of January.
We are looking for places to stay within a 3-4 hour drive to Miami. ( The last cruise we did from Fort Lauderdale and we drove to the port from Orlando )
As it is the New Year period many hotels have a minimum booking or are very, very expensive in Miami itself. ( we thought we might just stay the night before the cruise in Miami)
In the past we have stayed at Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Deerfield Beach, Orlando, Sanibel / Capitva and the Keys.
We are from Australia and enjoy staying in modern, clean hotels with a nice view but also like B&B's (Mermaid and Alligator in Key West was lovely ) We like seeing the sights, eating out, having a drink somewhere with a nice view and shopping. ( approx. $250 - $300 per night )
Looking forward to hear your recommendations and ideas.
Thanks
Donna
Australia

That is a difficult week to find lodging in Florida, especially in the resort areas.

I can't recommend specific hotels, but you might try a couple of different areas, such as Vero Beach to the north and Sarasota to the northwest. Vero is about a 2-hour drive to Miami; Sarasota is about 3 hours.

Vero is kind of laid-back. Has beaches and access to the river, lots of restaurants. Sarasota is a bit more urban and busy. It's close to beaches and some interesting attractions, such as the Ringling complex.

My experience has been that hotels are not as difficult on Dec. 31 to Jan. 2 in Naples as they become later. Naples is just over a two hour drive, has amazing shopping and restaurants, glorious beach, and super fireworks on the beach New Year's Eve (9 PM?).

Thanks Vincenzo and NeoPatrick I will check out Vero Beach, Sarasota and Naples for this time frame. I am back at work this morning but will have a look tonight.
Naples and Vero Beach in particular sound great.

Consider Marco Island, just south of Naples. The Marriott is a great beach hotel. High season in South Florida.

Thanks stumpworks73 will also check out Marco Island.
Once I have researched hotels I will get back to you.
Thanks
Donna

Still in the middle of looking around.
Does anyone have particular hotels they would recommend?
Stumpworks the Marriott was pretty expensive, over our budget at the moment.

In Naples, look at The Inn on Fifth Avenue -- in the heart of the action.

Hi Again,
looks like we might have to up the budget!
NeoPatrick the Inn on Fifth Avenue is nearly $500 a night too. Many of the places are already booked out.
We stayed in Orlando for New Years last trip and it wasn't very expensive so may have to think about that again but we would prefer somewhere else. Oh well. I will keep looking.

Nothing wrong with Naples, but cost is the reason I didn't mention it earlier, given what you described as your budget. I still think Vero might be your best bet. Check out Cost D'este. It might be slightly above your budget, but you can compare it with some of the other ocean-front hotels there.

Thanks Vincenzo we will check out Cost D'este .
Thanks for the suggestion.

Vincenzo checked it out. $350 - $400 per night for this time.
We may have to break the stay up and have a couple of nights in one place and a couple of nights somewhere else.
Another idea might be an apartment somewhere.

Since it's just for a couple nights have you looked into any of the chain hotels like Hampton Inn? They are usually well within your budget and are all over.

Mag: There are lower cost hotels in Vero. In fact, Coste D'Este might be near the top for that area.

Thanks for the input.
We will keep researching and I will get back to you.

If you don't mind rather basic accommodations but very clean and just a block off a great beach...there is a Holiday inn express in Juno beach...on the website it is referred to as North Palm Beach. Their rates start at $138 for your dates....a bargain for sure. It is a great area about 1.5 hours north of Miami. Lots to do in Jupiter, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach....

Thanks rattravlers. I will look into the Holiday Inn you mention. It sounds like there is plenty to do and it is not too far from Miami to get back for the cruise.
Thanks I will check it out.

The Holiday Inn does have vacancies for that time and is priced pretty well. Another option is Hampton Inn Boca Ratan which has reasonable rates for out time frame too. We can get a good deal on the Westin in Fort Lauderdale so will check out the reviews for the hotels and make a decision over the weekend.

Hi everyone,
just I thought I would touch base and let you know what we decided upon after all that research.
Thanks again everyone for their ideas and suggestions.
We ended up on deciding to stay in Miami for convenience (arriving late at night from New York and cruise leaving from Miami )
We got the Yve Hotel in Miami for a good price so are very happy with that.
Thanks again for all of your help

Glad everything worked out for you.